Resonance Of Hearts
by Lily Nadesico
Summary: After the events of "Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of Sea", Ash and May get to clear up their own feelings. Advanceshipping, One-shot.


**RESONANCE OF HEARTS**

**oooooooooo**

**Welcome back, everyone! I am taking a small break from my usual fanfiction work to give you a nice one-shot that just popped in my mind after rewatching the ninth Pokemon movie, "Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Seas", which is a must-see for all May fans and especially Advanceshipping fans!**

**I know, I know... I am primarily a Pokeshipper, and this hasn't changed at all. However, I am not opposed to other pairings with Ash, and in fact, I like quite a few of them... Pearlshipping, Abilityshipping, you name it! And Advanceshipping happens to be one of them, so... yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to deviate a little from my norm and try my hand at something new!**

**As you've probably already guessed, this story is set just a little after the events of the 9th movie, and involves our favourite main characters - Ash and May, of course - sharing a few tender moments as they reflect on what just happened, and May is still coping with separating herself from Manaphy. I will certainly do my best to set up a good romance story, but you be the judge whether I managed to do it or not.**

**Once again, I don't own Pokemon, and the characters in this story have not been used for gain. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri.**

**I'd like to dedicate this fanfiction to my friend EmperorDraco7, who authored some really nice Pokemon and Gundam SEED fanfictions! I hope you like this story, Draco, as I've tried to do my best!**

**Well, that's enough for now! Let's get to the story, shall we?**

**Advanceshipping Forever!**

**oooooooooo**

_"Goodbye, May... goodbye, Mom..."_

As May sat by herself, longingly looking at the setting sun, these words, spoken to her by little Manaphy, the Pokemon whose Egg she had seen hatching and for whom she had cared for, still resonated in her mind. Only one day had gone by since she, along with her little brother Max and her friends Ash and Brock, had taken part in an extraordinary adventure to save Manaphy from the evil Captain Phantom, barely managing to do so... and now that the time had come for her to say goodbye to Manaphy for good, she still missed him. It had been a wonderful experience to become a surrogate mother for the little Pokemon... and right now, she was beginning to understand how her own mother must have felt seeing her and Max going away from home. She still had no regrets, but...

With a sigh and a heavy heart, the young girl hugged her knees to her chest, glancing for an instant at her companions who were sitting a short distance away, setting up camp for the night. She was looking at Ash in particular - Ash who, along with his inseparable friend Pikachu, was busying himself with carrying a few stones and sticks for the fire upon which Brock would have soon cooked dinner. May had to admit, she envied Ash's attitude a little. He was always so eager to embark on a new adventure, so determined, compassionate and loving towards his Pokemon... it was no wonder so many people considered him an example to follow. It had been quite a long time since May had met him and, while her first impression of him hadn't been all that positive, with him wrecking her bicycle and all, she had come to know him quite well over those months. In fact, she could tentatively say she was falling in love with him. They had become friends fairly quickly, and together they had gone through a lot of exciting, dangerous, interesting experiences... and more recently, just before she and Ash had briefly been in contact through Manaphy's Heart Swap, she had found herself worrying sick about his safety, and when she had actually been in telepathic contact with Ash, she had felt just how strong was Ash's determination in getting Manaphy and all of his friends to safety. Ash was a truly extraordinary person... but she wasn't really holding out much hope that it could work between the two of them.

Ash, after all, was the high-strung type of guy... she could see him wandering from country to country to train his Pokemon and to see newer and newer things. He was not the kind of person to settle down in one place, his adventurous spirit would not allow it. He was probably not interested in romance... and they were still children anyway. The odds of it working were slim, to the point where May did not really believe it was worth it to confess to him, even though she was sure of her own feelings. She was content to hang back and watch him as he, along with the inseparable Pikachu and with his unwavering spirit, took on one challenge after the other, never losing that trademark, heartthrob smile of his...

And so, May remained sitting there, her thoughts wandering to Manaphy, and hoping he would find the happiness he deserved... and to Ash, whom she was simply content to observe from a faraway position...

**oooooooooo**

Back at the campsite, though, Ash and his friends were quite worried about May. It was not hard to see how hard she had taken the separation from her friend Manaphy, and now that they could see her sitting all alone and dejectedly in the distance, they were hoping she was not getting depressed.

"May sure doesn't look very well lately..." Max sighed. As much as the two siblings used to bicker back and forth, they actually cared a lot about one another, and seeing his older sister sad was hard on him as well. "I wish I could say something to make her feel better... but anytime I talk to her, she just tells me that she's okay... I have trouble believing that, though..."

"I'm afraid you're right, Max..." Brock commented, looking at where the young girl was sitting. "She doesn't want to burden us with how she feels, but it's cler that she's feeling down over Manaphy going away. Maybe one of us should try talking to her one on one, that way she'd probably be more inclined to speak of her own feelings."

Ash, who had been listening to his two friends, thought for a little about it... then, he and Pikachu looked at each other straight in the eyes, and the electric mouse gave a slight nod of assent. Ash thanked his best friend with a smile, then he stepped forward. "Well, guys, I'd like to be the one to talk to May." he stated simply. When Brock and Max looked at him in slight puzzlement, Ash cleared his throat and continued speaking with a more neutral tone. "I think I can convince her to open up... after all, when we were trying to save Manaphy, I came in contact with her telepathically for a second... and I think I understand how she feels about this whole business. Not that I can blame her, of course... I would probably feel the same if I had had to care about Manaphy, and then I had to separate from him..."

"_Pikachu..._" Pikachu answered with a sympathetic nod. A long time ago, he and Ash were, in fact, on the verge of going their separate ways, when Pikachu had found a group of his peers, and Ash was going to let him stay with them, despite the fact that this was crushing him. Not to mention all those times when Ash had let a Pokemon free for his own good... yes, he could say that he understood what May was going through at that particular time...

Max and Brock looked at each other for a while, before the older boy smiled slightly and nodded in assent. "Yes, I think Ash has a point here... I think he can relate better to what May is going through now." he said. Max sighed again, but in the end he was convinced as well.

"Well, I guess you're right, Brock... okay, Ash, I hope you can cheer my sister up somewhat..." he said, once again looking at May sitting on her lonesome. Ash smiled and nodded, before he started walking towards May, with Pikachu not far behind.

**oooooooooo**

May was still sitting down, thinking to herself, when she felt someone approach her, and she turned to her back in slight surprise as she saw that it was no one else than Ash and Pikachu, who had maaged to reach her without her noticing until they were very close! She must really have been in a funk, she reflected as she breathed out a sigh of relief...

"Hi, May! Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you..." Ash apologized, raising a hand in a greeting gesture.

"_Pika pika..._" Pikachu confirmed.

May managed to smile slightly, and moved her hand in front of herself in reassurance. "Oh... it's oky, Ash... I was so lost in my own world that I didn't even notice you were there..." she answered. "Is... is anything the matter, by the way?"

"With me and Pikachu? No, I guess we are doing okay..." Ash answered, now getting a good look at May's pretty face, showing a serene smile but failing to hide how sad she still felt over Manaphy. Max was right, she was trying not to trouble them with her own problems... but Ash agreed that it was better for her to talk and let out her feelings a little. "By the way, May... do you mind if I and Pikachu sit with you a little?"

May felt her heart rate accelerate a little. Here was Ash, the boy she had a crush on, asking her if he could sit with her for a moment. She almost couldn't believe it... but she quickly got over her incredulity and motioned for the slightly older boy to get seated at her side, which Ash gladly did after dusting the place a little. Pikachu jumped into his trainer's lap, his ears perked up.

"Heheheee... I see, Pikachu, you wanted to get comfortable, too..." May giggled, scratching the electric mouse behind the ears. She then glanced up at Ash, hoping that he wouldn't see the slight blush that had appeared on her face. "So... er... tell me, Ash, how... how are you doing?"

"Well... fine, I guess..." Ash answered goofily, mentally kicking himself for being such a screw-up. This wasn't exactly the way he had intended to strike a conversation with his friend, but there was this strange feeling in his heart that had prevented him from speaking out. "Anyway... I wanted to see how you were doing..."

May feinted a puzzled look and blinked twice. "Huh? Me? What do you..." she started to say, but saw the slightly worried look in his friend's eyes, and felt instantly compelled not to fake a smile this time. There was something in Ash's expression that just begged her to come clear and let him help her in the situation she was in, and he would not take no for an answer...

May looked at the ground, her smile fading a little in an expression of anxiety and nostalgia. "I... I guess I'm a terrible liar, huh?" she murmured, letting out her breath in a wistful sigh. "You're right, Ash... I... I'm feeling a little down at the moment..."

May stopped herself and looked at the ground, absent-mindedly scratching at the bare rock with her index finger. "When I saw Manaphy emerge from his egg, I felt an emotion like nothing else I felt before... I felt as if it was my duty to take care of him and make sure nothing happened to him... no, actually, it was something more than just that. I felt as if that little Pokemon was a part of me, and now that he's gone... well... I kinda feel lost and alone. I know it's not right to feel like this, and that I've always got you, Max, Brock, my Pokemon... but still, I can't help but feel this way. Is this what they call... being a mother?"

May blinked back tears of melanchony as she spoke, and Ash and Pikachu listened to her, not really knowing what to say. They had never even imagined to be in the situation May had been in in the recent days, and they felt like whatever they said, it wouldn't have been enough to deal with the turmoil of emotion rolling around in their friend's heart.

A few seconds passed, without any of the two saying anything... and just when it was beginning to get unbearable, Ash took a breath and spoke. "I... well, I don't think I'm your go-to guy for such problems, May..." he said gently. "I mean, I never had to deal with newborn Pokemon and the like... and I'm not what you would call a mother figure. Still... I can say this much. What's so wrong with feeling sad after a goodbye?"

May raised her head and looked at her friend and secret crush with a rather surprised expression on her face. Here she thought Ash would just tell her to cheer up and try to move forward, but now... he was there, telling her that it was alright to feel sad. Ash, for his part, merely rubbed the back of his head in embarassment, trying to follow up with an explanation.

"I mean... Manaphy was your Pokemon, after all, right?" Ash said, his thought now wandering for a while to the Togepi his earlier travelling companion Misty had had with her for so long, and to whom she eventually had to say goodbye. "The fact that you're sad that he's away now shows how much you cared about him... so, it's not wrong to be a little down in the dumps, right? I felt this way myself when I had to say goodbye to my Charizard... and to other Pokemon... I know, I know, it's not quite the same thing as with you and Manaphy, but... I think I can understand, at least a little..."

"Ash..." May murmured, looking at her friend and hoping that she wouldn't choke on her own words from her emotion.

"Anyway..." Ash concluded, now raising his head again to look in May's eyes. Once again, that weird feeling he had felt earlier was back, and he found himself swallowing down some saliva in order not to let his throat dry. "You don't have to put on a brave face, if you don't feel like it. Actually, I think telling me... us... how you feel would be good for you."

May sighed again and, after wiping her eyes once again to make sure no stray tears would fall, managed to smile fondly at Ash. "Thank you, Ash..." she said, truly grateful for what he was doing for her. "I... I still feel sad over Manaphy, but... hey, I'll get over it. And... I will surely always remember him! he was such a special Pokemon, and not just for me..."

"_Pika pika!_" the electric mouse squeaked happily.

"You're right..." Ash answered with a small wink. "After all... who knows? Maybe one day you two will meet again. There's nothing set in stone, this much I have learned during my journey..."

The two remained seated side by side, enjoying the view of the setting sun for a while. As they were sitting together, though, Ash found himself glancing more and more often at the brown-haired girl, wondering about the small et noticeable turmoil inside his own heart. It had been a few days, since a little before the whole Manaphy debacle, that Ash had begu to feel like that when he was with May, but he wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to speak to her about this. Still, he knew that it was because May was there with him that Ash felt this way... and it wasn't a bad feeling, at all.

"Say, Ash..." May asked suddently, startling Ash and Pikachu a little. "Have you ever... fallen in love with someone?"

"What?" Ash asked after a few moments of surprised silence. "Er... no, I guess not... I... erm... why do you ask me this, all of a sudden?"

"Just asking..." May gently said, her eyes once again wandering to the horizon. Now the sun was about to disappear behind the mountains, coloring the sky a bright, soothing orange. The scene felt somehow right for May to try and confess... "Well... you know something, Ash? I was asking that... because I think I might be falling in love with someone!"

For some reason, Ash felt happy for May... and at the same time, he felt a pang in his heart at the idea of May falling in love with someone. It was as if he had lost something... "Oh... really, May? And... who is this person? Is it that Drew guy who's in Pokemon contests like you?" he asked quietly.

May shook her head gently, then she reached up with her hand and tok her trademark bandanna off her head, shaking her long brown hair free. "No, that's not him..." she answered. "He's a good friend, and a strong opponent... but that's about it, I'm not interested in him in that way!"

"Oh, I see..." Ash murmured, somewhat relieved, but still feeling a little uncomfortable. "Well then... can you tell me a little about him?"

May managed to giggle, getting over her earlier melanchony somewhat. "Well... how should I describe him... he's a person I've been friends with for quite some time now..." she said wistfully, her cheek now reddening visibly, if not for the faint light of the sunset. "He's enthusiastic, adventurous... a litlle bull-headed... but he's a kind and generous guy who loves Pokemon and treats them like friends rather than weapons, like some other trainers do... he's a great person, and I look up to him a lot!"

Now, some people would probably peg Ash as a thick-headed person... possibly even oblivious... and they would not be wrong, either. Ash had never been the kind of person to think too much about things... but in that particular occasion, he felt as if he was beginning to see something through May's attitude. The way she was talking and acting... it was as if May was trying to tell him something... and he felt as if he needed to make a move in her direction as well, though he wasn't one hundred per cent sure about what he felt.

He felt that, if he didn't speak now, he would lose his chance to do so for good.

"Y'know, May..." he said, stroking Pikachu's fur as the electric mouse nodded towards him, as if to encourage him. "To tell you the truth, there is a person that makes me feel... well, I dunno how to say it... but it gives me a strange feeling. I feel both happy and excited when she's around... and I can say, she really added something to my life! It... just wouldn't be the same without her... she's a fun, generous and sweet person... and I admire her dedication and her kindness. I... I think it's great to able to... er..."

May blinked, holding her breath in anticipation and feeling both excited and scared. Could... could Ash be talking about her? She almost wouldn't allow herself to think so, it would have been too good to be true... and yet, a small part of her was still hoping that the name that would come out of his lips would be her own... Her heart was now racing, and she felt herself shaking a little...

"R... Really?" May asked, swallowing some saliva. "And... now... where is she?"

Ash felt like he was being backed into a corner. Was May trying to get him to confess? Was she about to tell him about the person she was falling in love with? He got a grip on himself and took another breath. "W-well..." he began, unsure of what to say. "At the moment she... she's right... er..."

In the end, Ash decided to throw all hesitation out of the window, and gamble it all on a single sentence. This was win or lose... and he was prepared to lose. "That... that person is you, May!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes and gripping his fists. There, he had said it. He had come out and said it. "I... I don't really know how to explain it... but I feel really happy staying with you and looking at you! Even now that you were taking care of Manaphy... you looked like a mother with her baby. I... I always admired that about you, May... that and the fact that you are always so kind and cheerful... I liked that about you! And... and if this is called falling in love with someone, then... I... I guess I'm falling in love with you! I know, I know, it sounds silly of me... but that's just how I feel and..."

His ramblings were cut short as an overjoyed May reached forward and pulled Ash in a tight, loving embrace, surprising him beyond all rational thoughts! Pikachu quickly jumped down for Ash's lap, in order not to come between the two of them, and walked away a little, as May began laughing and crying at the same time, keeping her bear hug on the young boy.

"Heheheheee... s-sorry... Ash... I... I was not lauhing at you, really!" May exclaimed, her voice broken with overwhelming emotions. "I... I just feel very happy is all... I... I never thought... that I would... but... the truth is... I love you, Ash! I... I've liked you since some time now... but I never thought you would like me back... I mean... I thought it could work, and..."

"M-May..." Ash answered, before tentatively hugging May back. It was a marvelous feeling, the feeling of eliminating physical and mental distance... the feeling that the other person was there just for him, holding him close, telling him that she could be trusted... he closed his eyes and surrendered himself to May's warm embrace. "I... I love you too, May... I... I just wish I had noticed sooner than this... but that's the truth. You... you are a great person, May... and I'm overjoyed that you have these feelings for me!"

"Thank you... Ash..." May answered. The two separated slightly and looked at each other in the eyes... then, they leaned forward a little and pecked each other.

It was a quick, chaste kiss, as they were still in their youth and innocence. And yet, it was enough to make them blush profusedly and send a jolt of emotion down their spines. Ash and May stood there for a while, not really knowing what to say or do, still too amazed by the fact that they had been able to confess to each other to speak. They felt like the earlier time where their hearts had been linked thanks to Manaphy's powers... only, this time it was more than just a moment. It was a wonderful, if somewhat frightening, feeling...

After enjoying each other's company for a while, Ash finally managed to get his act together. "Er... well... we... should get back to the camp, now shouldn't we? Brock and Max are probably waiting for us..." he stated with a little hesitation.

"I... You're right, Ash, let's go back..." May said as they climbed to their feet, and the girl held her newfound boyfriend's hand in hers. Ash gulped, but gently held her hand back before Pikachu raised his ears and gave him a thumbs-up sign in congratulations.

"_Pika pika chu, pika pi!_" the electric mouse said with a wink.

"Er... Thanks, Pikachu!" Ash answered in embarassment, once again keeping a hand behind his head. May smiled in content and looked at the horizon once again, to bid one last goodbye at the Pokemon she had cared for.

"_Thank you too, Manaphy... I hope you will be happy, wherever you are now!_" the young girl thought to herself, before she and Ash, joined once again by Pikachu, began walking back towards the camp where Brock and Max were waiting for them, this time not just as friends, but as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Time would tell what might happen in the future. But one thing was certain, Ash and May, from then on, would face it together.

**oooooooooo**

THE END

**So, how was it? I know, I know, it's not that great... but I kinda needed this to get the creative juices flowing once again, and as a gift to all Advanceshippers everywhere! I hope it was decent enough... and until next time, take care everyone!**

**Lily**


End file.
